WORCESTER — City councilors and local package store owners expressed concerns Tuesday night about prospects of so-called big-box stores and supermarkets in the city being allowed to sell beer and wine.

They said if that is allowed, it could end up putting many small, family-owned package stores out of business.

They also questioned the need for more liquor licenses, saying they feel that some parts of the city have already reached the saturation point.

Price Chopper has petitioned the License Commission for permission to transfer an existing package store all-alcohol license from Milzan Inc., which does business as Millbury Street Liquors, to its supermarket as 72 Pullman St.

The petition will be heard by the License Commission Thursday morning.

District 1 Councilor Tony Economou said allowing a major supermarket to also sell beer and wine would go against everything the city is trying to achieve in terms of economic development and neighborhood stabilization.

He pointed out that beer and wine sales make up about 70 percent of the sales for many small package stores. He said allowing a supermarket to sell beer and wine would likely take away a lot of business from the smaller package stores along the West Boylston Street commercial corridor.

Package store owners in the Greendale area pointed out that there are already four full liquor licenses and four beer-and-wine licenses within a two-mile radius in that neighborhood.

They contend there is no need to bring in another liquor license to that area.

"Adding more licenses to our community will hurt many small businesses in the years going forward," Mr. Economou said. "These people have worked their butts off to survive. For the big-box stores, beer and wine is just another business transaction to get more people into their store.

"Price Chopper Supermarket will not go anywhere if it's not allowed to sell beer and wine," he continued. "But if this is allowed and we end up losing businesses because of it, that would be devastating to me. I feel that strongly about it."

District 4 Councilor Sarai Rivera said the over-saturation of liquor licenses in the part of the city she represents is a problem as well.

She said what compounds the problem there is that many of liquor license holders are in highly residential areas.

Councilor-at-Large Frederick C. Rushton said he agreed that the city may have reached a saturation point when it comes to liquor licenses, but he pointed out that such a decision comes under the purview of the License Commission and not the City Council.

He said if city councilors have concerns about big-box stores and supermarkets being allowed to sell beer and wine, then they should make their feelings known to the License Commission.

"I have nothing against big-box stores, but when you combine food with (alcoholic) beverages, there's no need for it," Mr. Rushton said. "But it's the License Commission and not this City Council that determines whether this city has reached a saturation point when it comes to the number of liquor licenses."